Brake mechanism for self-propelled vehicles.



No. 890,666. PATENTLID JUNE 16, 1908. H. LBMP H. S. BALDWIN.

BRAKE MEGHANISM FOR SELF PROPELLED VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 7, 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

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With asses'. I n Venter-sg' QM@ f/ "1 Her-m arm-1 Larme,

. envy S. Bamm/vin,

'UNITEE sTATEs PATENT oEEIcE.

HERMANN LEMP AND HENRY S. BALDWIN, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS T GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OFNEW YORK.

` BRAKE MEGHANISM FOR SELF-PROPELLED VEHICLES.

No. 890,666.v

Specification of Letters Patent.

liatented June 16, 1908. i

Application filed August 7, 1905. Serial No. 272,990.

To all whom it 'may concern.'

Be it known that we, I IERMANN LEMP and HENRY S. BALDWIN, citizens of the United States, and residents of Lynn, in the county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Brake Mechanism for Self-Propelled Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

.The present invention relates to brake mechanism for motor vehicles and the object of the invention is to so improve the construction of the mechanism as to provide a simple, reliable and ellcient vehicle brake, the parts of which are readily assembled and taken apart, and to secure more satisfactory operation of the same.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one embodiment of our invention,-

Figure 1 is a side elevation of 4a motor car; Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of a chassis adapted to be used in said car Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of a portion of the drivingl axle; Fig. 4 is a transverse section of said shaft through the worm wheel and worin; Fig. 5 is a section of said shaft on the line 5, 5, Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation of the universal joint between the motor shaft and the wormshaft Fig. 7 is a cross section of the same on the line ,7 7, Fig. Fig. h' is a cross sectionof the driving shaft on the line S 8, liig. 3; liig. 9 is a sectionofthe same on the line 9 9, .l*`ig. 3; and Fig. 1().is a cross section ol' the worm shaft on the line 10 10, Fig. 4. The car illustrated is of the tonneau type, but the invention is applicable to any kind of a motor car. The various parts are mounted on a frame 1, which is spring-sup ported on driving wheels 2 and steering wheels 3 in the customary manner. y Mounted below the ear-body at any convenient point, but preferably under the foot ln the present inshown; but any board, are two motors 4.

out departing from our 1nvention.`

Power for the motors is taken from any suitable source of supply located in the car, and the motors are provided with a suitable controller.

llach motor drives a separate driving wheel, said wheels beiirr mounted on independent axles. It will e necessary, therefore, to describe the driving mechanism of only one of said motors, since their construction and operation are identical.

The end of the armature shaft 5 is provided with a spherical segment 6, Fig. 6, provided with diametricall -opposite lugs 7 from which project trunnions 8 Whose 'common axis is at right angles to the armature shaft. The worm shaft 9 has on its front end a spherical segment 10, simil-ar to the segment 6 and like that provided with lugs 11 having outwardly extending trunnions 12, whose common axis is in the same transverse plane as that of the trunnions 8, but at right angles lthereto. Each of these four I trunnions has a rotating fit in a cap bushing 13, and the four bushings are clamped ri idly between the two rings 14, which are hel together by the bolts 15, Fig. 2. The rings have flanges 16 whose inner surfaces are spherical in order to coperate with the segments 6 and 10," The rings prevent anylateral displacement of the armature shaft and worm shaft, but the trunnions permit these shafts to varyl considerably from perfect alinement. In other words, the structure constitutes a good universal joint between the'two shafts. The segment 10 is mounted on the Worm shaft by meansof a sleeve 10 integral with said segment and fitting said shaft snugly, being rigidly secured thereto by a key 17. 'lhc rear end of the worm shaft has a worm 1S slidably connected withit by-a spline 19 and meshing with a worm wheel 21), Figs. 2 and 4. The worin and worin wheel are inclosed in a casing L 1, made inV two parts secured togetherby screws 22.

The worm shaft is housed in a tube 23, whose rear end is secured in :L tubulai enten-H sion 24 onl the casing 2l and whose front end carries a roller bearing for the shaft. This lwaring is preferably constructed as shown best in Fig. 6. A sleeve 25 is riveted to the tube 2b and has an enlarged ortion 26 in which is a hardened steel bus ing 27. On the sleeve. l0 of the segment 1() is placed a hardened. steel jacket 28, and betweenthis and'the bushing 2T are a series of cylindrical steel rollers 29,4 suitably mounted in a cage, as usual. A cap 30 is forced upon the sleeve 10 and covers the end of the sleeve 25.

Near the rear end of the tube 23, the worm shaft has a collar 31, Fig. 4, beyond which is a bushing Surrounding this bushing is a series of steel rollers 33, which bear against the inside of the end of the tube 23, and forni a roller bearing for the shaft at this point. 'The extremity ot' the shaft is similarly mounted in rollers 34 carried in a screw cap 35, which is screwed into the end ot the casing 2l, and is preventedL from unscrewing by a lock-plate 36 fastened to the casing by the screws 37 and engaging a slotvin one side of said cap. At each end of' the worm is a thrust bearing, preferably composed of radial rollers 38, Figs. 4 and 10 held between annular plates 39 concentric with the shaft 9 and bearing against the ends of the worm and shoulders formed in the casing and the cap.

The worin wheel is keyed rigidly on the tubular axle 40. lt has a projecting hub Figs. 3 and S, on each side which, serves to support roller bearings 41 lying between said .hub and the stationary hub portions 42 ol the casing 21. Secured by screws 43 to the ends of said portions 42 are the annular plates 43 between which are held the iibrous pacliings 44 which bear on the hub ol` the worin wheel and exclude dust. On each side of the worm wheel, between it and the walls of the casing 21, are liber thrust washers 45.

The tubular axle is rotatably supported on a iloating axle 4b and is provided with two collars 47 19 between which is 'li'tted the box bearing 49. l leaf spring 50 is secured to this box by the clips 5l and its ends are ilexibly fastened te the frame of the car.- rlhe shanlrs ol' the clips pass through lugs 52 on both halves of the box bearing, and thus serve to hold said halves together.

On the collar 48 are pins 53, Figs. 3 and 9, which engage with. a ilange 54 on the hub 55 o' the driving wheel 2. Said wli'o'el has a sleeve or box 56 olf' case hardened steel whose outer end is engaged by a washer 57 and a nut on the reduced end `portion ot' the liloating axle 46. An ornamental protecting cap 59 is screwed into the end or the hub ever the nut and washer. lt will be seen that the tubular axle is held against cndwise movement by the washer 57 and 'the collar 60 on the iloating axle against which the hub of the worm wheel abuts. rl`he inner end 4U" ot the tubular axle 4() is tapered. so to have a wedging lit with the worin wheel.

rhe ila-nge 54 has a cylindrical rim 61 Figs. 5 and 9, 'to serveas a brake drum. The

brake shoes 62 are pivotally supported on an arm 63 which depends from the lower half oi the box bearing 49. Springs 64 hold the shoes normally out of engagement with the interior bearing snrlace ot the drum. A bent lever is pivoted to one ol said shoes and one arm thereof is connected by a linlr with the otherl shoe. A turnbuclile 66 enables the 'length olf said link to be altered at will. lhe

lever and the link form a toggle which can be straightened by means 'of a rod 67 which is. carried forward to any convenient actuating device accessible to the motorist. lllhen the toggle is straightened the brake shoes are thrown out against the inner surface of the brake drum, thereby producing the desired retardation of the speed of the motor car.

By removing Ythe ornamental cap from the hub oi the wheel and taking oil the nut and washer, the wheel can be slid oil the end of the floating axle without disturbing the rest of the mechanism; the liange being easily withdrawn `from the pins, and the brake shoes having no connection with the surl, rounding rim of the drum. Or going a step further and disconnectin theclamping rings 14 of one of the universs joints, and removing the spring clips 51 of the adjacent spring, the worm shaft, worm gearing and casing, tubular driving axle and adjacent parts can be detached from the vehicle as a selfcontained unit. This is an important feature, as the parts can be conveniently assembled on the shop-bench and when assembled be applied as a unitary structure to the vehicle. lt also facilitates repair.

`In accordance with theA provisions of the patent'statutes, we have described the principle of operation 'of our invention, together with the apparatus Whichwc now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but we desire to have it understood that the appa-l ratus shown is only illustrative, and that the invention can be carried out by other means.

Vhat we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a motor car, the combination with a lloating axle, of a tubular axle thereon havingpins at one end, and a driving wheel on said lloating axle having a brakevilange engaging with said pins.

ln a motor car, the combination with a l'loating axle, ci a tubular axle thereon, a bearing for said tubular axle, brake niechanm0 ism supported on said bearing, and a wheel on the end ot said lloating axle having a brake drum.

3. ln a motor car, the combination with a iloating. axle, of a tubular axle thereon, a bearing for said tubular axle, brake mechan-' ism supported on said bearing, and a wheel on the end' of said floating axle ,having` a brake drum and removably engaged with said driving axle. f

4. ln 'a motor car, the combination with'a lioating axle, of a tubular driving axle there-- on having collars, a bearing fitting between said collars, brake 'shoes pivoted on said bearing, a wheel on the end of said floating axle having its hub rovided with a ilange engaging with said driving axle and a rim on said llange cooperating with said brake shoes.

5. ln a motor car, the combination with a lloating axle, ol" a tubular driving axle there 130 .o rounding said shoes.

on, e box bearing for said driving axle havin In Witnesewhefeef, We have hereunto set a depending erm, brake shoespvoted on sai enr hande this fourth dey of August, 1905. arm, e toggle connecting the upper ends pf HERSANN LEM?.

said shoes, a Wheel havmg a hub provgied HENRY S. BALDWN. with e ange removably engaging with said Witnesses:

driving axle, and a rim on said flange surl OHN A. MCMANUS, Jr.,

HARRY E. HEATH. 

